This invention relates generally to food plates and more particularly to self-balancing food holders for single-hand use during stand up eating or self-serve style food service.
At many social gatherings where food is served, such as wedding receptions, cocktail parties, barbecues and the like, guests are often required to stand while holding food laden plates, drinks and dining accessories, such as napkins, eating utensils and the like. Often, the guests must hold both their plate and drink container while passing through a self-service buffet line or while being served and then balance the plate and all dining accessories while returning to their seats. The guests may have to stand while eating because of a lack of seating or table space. In addition, some guests may desire to mingle and choose to stand.
In order to simultaneously hold and balance a plate and a drink container while standing, a person must use both hands, one to hold the plate and one to hold the drink. This is very inconvenient and awkward when the person needs at least one hand free, such as for eating or serving himself from a buffet table, and may require the person to find a nearby surface, such as a table, upon which to place the drink container. In addition to the inconvenience of having to put the drink container down, the person""s drink may be knocked over, be confused with the drink containers of other guests if many guests are present at the function, or be inadvertently disposed of by the wait staff who assume the drink has been abandoned. Additionally, it is difficult to also simultaneously hold a napkin and eating utensils while standing.
Some plates or food trays in the prior art have attempted to resolve some of the problem by providing a portion for receiving food and another portion for supporting a drink container. In trying to hold such a conventional food tray with one hand, most users would support the tray by grasping the rim of the tray. When a full drink container is placed on one of these trays, however, the tray becomes unbalanced because of the added weight and is difficult to hold with one hand. Most users would need to compensate by grasping the rim of the tray with both hands especially when the plate is also fully laden with food.
In order to free one hand for eating or self service, users desirably can more securely hold the plate in one hand with the palm supporting the underside of the plate. This is a precarious way to hold and carry the plate, however, since it is relatively easy for the plate to slide off an inadvertently tipped palm. Another hazard is that an edge of the plate might be struck inadvertently, causing the plate to flip or slide off the user""s hand.
One prior attempt to address the problem provided a portable food tray with cup holder and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,070 to McSpadden. However, the user is required to support the tray on a portion of the hand and wrist and firmly grasp the cup holder portion with the fingers. The tray has no provisions for holding dining accessories prior to use and does not resolve the hazard of having the edge of the tray flip off the hand.
There is a need for a self-balancing food plate that can be carried in one hand and yet have its rim be relatively secure against falling or sliding off, the user""s hand. It would also be desirable to provide such a self-balancing food plate having a provision for simultaneously carrying a drink or other liquid container. It would be further desirable to provide such a self-balancing food plate having provisions for holding one or more dining accessories, before, during and after usage.
These and other desirable features are provided by the present invention.
Disclosed is a self-balancing food holder onto which food can be served or from which food can be eaten while being carried by one hand of a user. The self-balancing, single-hand food holder comprises a platter having an upper surface for receiving and supporting food, and a lower surface for engaging the hand of the user and a restraint member connected to the edge of the platter at laterally spaced locations. The restraint member has a restraining portion vertically spaced from the lower surface of the platter to define a passage for receiving the user""s hand in interposed relationship between the platter and the restraining portion. When the hand is so received, the platter can be carried or held securely, preferably by the palm of the user""s hand, and is restrained against tipping or falling from the user""s hand. Thus, the food holder advantageously is self-balancing against slipping sideways off the user""s hand.
The present invention provides a self-balancing, single-hand food holder that can be carried or held in one hand and is especially useful for stand up eating, self-serve buffet style food service and the like. The novel self-balancing, single-hand food holder of the present invention further advantageously provides for holding dining accessories before, during, and after usage. Additionally, the inventive food holder can also be employed for table usage, if the user so desires. Beneficially, the restraint portion of the inventive self-balancing, single-hand food holder can be self-adjusting to accommodate various hand sizes and can be dimensionally sized for use by children as well as adults.
Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments made with reference to the drawings.